Another open letter to the Christian Sub-Culture

Dear Christian,
I hate to write this to you in such a public maner, but you’re still making a fool of yourself in many public places.
You’ve been writing letters to the local paper condemning the “immoral heathens” in your community, saying you would be “floored” if they had the “audacity to show up in a church.” It’s surprising you don’t have a bouncer waiting at the door to expell the sinners amongst you.
Just like Simon wanted to expell the woman from his house in Luke 7, you seem to hope the sin drenched people of the world avoid your church entirely.
Yet even as Simon squirmed in his seat, knowing that a known sinner was in his house, Jesus assured Simon, “He that is forgiven much, loves much.”
Jesus spent time accepting the sinner, not casting them out.
The writers of Radical Hospitality write, “Acceptance. Now there’s a word loaded with meaning. We tend to confuse it with tolerance or even approval. But acceptance is about receiving, rather than judging. The father, who will not visit his son because his son is living unmarried with a woman, or even another man, might say he doesn’t want to condone his son’s choices. We feel for him, but we know it’s a cover-up because we, too, have rationalized our avoidance of things and situations we would rather not have to face. Then we hide the dissapointment, cover the anger, and justify the rejection. We struggle in our best efforts to hold back judgement and just accept. Acceptance is not about condoning; it is about embracing. When we accept, we take an open stance to the other person. It is more than pios tolerating them. We stand in the same space and appreciate who they are, right at this moment, and affirm the Sacred in them.”
I know it’s easy to judge.
I know it’s easy to throw stones.
And I know it’s easy to say, “You’re not welcome here” when a person makes you uncomfortable.
But keep in mind, the people you’re rejecting are the same people who need Christ the most.
Maybe we can take some lessons for the few who seem to be on the right track.
Last year, a church that was robbed posted the following message on their marquee, “To the person who broke in – God loves you.”
The United Church of Christ made headlines in 2004 when their TV commercial featuring a bouncer at the gates of a church and a voice-over saying, “Jesus didn’t turn people away. Neither do we.” was rejected national TV networks.
A friend recently told me about a church who had gladly welcomed an athiest into their fellowship. Members of the church invited her to visit and she was overcome by the friendliness and attitude she saw.
She wasn’t judged or condemmed because she didn’t believe, she was accepted as another lost soul. She didn’t believe what they believed, she didn’t fit the Christian mold, but she was welcomed into the fellowship.
After several visits she asked the pastor to allow her to work in the nursery, simply because she wanted to be a part of the loving group.
The Apostle Thomas struggled with his faith after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
All of the other disciples had seen the risen Lord, yet Thomas had not and doubted their accounts.
But scripture tells us, the disciples allowed Thomas to continue his fellowship with them.
He simply hung out with them for eight days before Christ personally came to him.
What if Thomas or an Athiest came to your church?
Would they feel the love of Christ abounding? Or would she feel like an “immoral heathen” for not believing the message of a risen Savior?
And what if despite their doubt, their curiosity made them stay? Would they be welcomed or told they must conform or leave?
Samuel Escobar with The New Global Mission writes, “The church exists for mission, and … a church that is only inward looking is not truly the church.”
I write all of this to say, “It’s time to wake up.”
It’s time to start being known for your love, not how pro-prayer, pro-life or pro-Jesus you are.
It’s time to stoop down and reach out to those hurting and starving around you.
It’s time to check your attitude and maintain an attitude as that of Christ.
It’s time to be a relevant example of Christ — 24-7 and stop judging the sinners around you.
Because if I were “one of them,” I’d have given up and ignored you and “your Savior” a long time ago.
– Signed
Christian